Practical Nursing students take caring to a whole new level

When charged with creating a class assignment with personal meaning, practical nursing students at the Kelowna campus joined forces to raise much-needed funds for the Holding Hands for Hospice campaign. "The students decided they wanted to participate in an assignment that was personally important but also meaningful for the community," says instructor Christine Topley. Through a series of fundraisers including a barbecue, car wash and bake sale all held on Sept. 8, the class generated more than $1,200 for the cause.

While at the car wash the nurses witnessed a cyclist being hit by a car and immediately sprung into action. One student called 911 while three others attended to the individual. They used their nursing assessment skills to determine his level of consciousness and injuries while waiting to give a report to EMTs. Watch an interview with nursing students from SHAW TV .

AIDS Walk

All staff are invited to join President Jim Hamilton as he leads an Okanagan College team on Sunday, Sept. 23 at the 11th Annual Okanagan Family AIDS Walk at Waterfront Park in Kelowna. This important event raises awareness, decreases stigma and discrimination for those affected, and promotes education about HIV & AIDS. It also raises much-needed funds which stay in the community for prevention and education programs. Anyone interested in joining Jim in the AIDS Walk can contact Joanna Campbell .

Jamaican students arrive on campus

The last of the 12 Jamaican students enroled in Okanagan College programs arrived in Kelowna yesterday to begin their studies. A second group of students will arrive in Canada in January to begin classes in the winter semester. Many of the students have begun classes and are finding the classes interesting and faculty friendly. According to second-year business students Latoya Bailey and Kristyal Walker the Okanagan is the most beautiful place they have ever seen.

Jamaican ambassador to Canada to visit College

The Jamaican ambassador to Canada will be in Kelowna Sept. 18-21 to help welcome the first group of Jamaican students to Okanagan College. In addition to meeting with students, Her Excellency Evadne Coye will greet a group of Jamaican workers who were recruited by Okanagan businesses and will address a second group of Okanagan employers who are set to travel to Jamaica on a second recruiting mission.

Kelowna courtyard to be ready by month's end

A recent update by Regional Dean Heather Schneider has put the completion date for the courtyard renovation in October. During the next two weeks the concrete work, irrigation and electrical work will be completed. The maple trees (for great fall colour) are scheduled to be planted next week with the project completed and the gates down by the end of October. A big thank-you to all of the staff and students on the campus for your patience as the construction work continued into the fall. Work on the water features and new stage is expected to take place next year.

Revelstoke students complete first Residential Construction program

The first Residential Construction program wrapped up on Wednesday in Revelstoke with an open house, reception and dinner for staff, students and community partners. The 2,460 square-foot home was built by nine students under the leadership of instructor Bob Reed (seen cutting the ribbon) and with tremendous support from partners Vic Van Isle Construction Ltd., Jake and Jay Holdings and School District 19. See the event listing for details on an information session on the next Revelstoke Residential Construction program.

Arts taps in to social networking site to enhance communication with students

The popularity and high usage among students of the social networking site Facebook has led Okanagan College's Arts and Foundational programs to incorporate it as a tool to communicate and network with students. Last week when students came to campus orientation sessions they were informed that Arts and Foundational has a Facebook profile and were encouraged to invite Okanagan College to become a friend. "Facebook enables us to communicate with our students about events and news, but it also allows students to interact with each other," said Stan Chung, Associate Dean of Arts and Foundational programs.

Poetry reading on campus

English professors Alix Hawley (right), Jake Kennedy, Sean Johnston, Matt Kavanagh and Associate Dean of Arts and Foundational programs, Stan Chung, gathered on Monday to take advantage of a sunny day and a crowd of staff and students to read from a selection of original poetry, fiction and editorial work.

Online registrations continue to grow for Continuing Studies

Since going live with access to website registration for Continuing Studies programs on August 21, the number of people utilizing the online resource continues to grow. Director of Continuing Studies, Charlotte Kushner, is extremely pleased with how smooth the implementation of the new system has been. "The transition has been great," says Kushner. "I have had lots of feedback as to how easy the system is to use and that is key to the success of online registration."

Welcome back a success

The Kelowna campus welcomed over 3,393 students on September 5 (up 144 from last year). Thanks to the efforts of faculty and staff on campus their welcome back was exceptional. Restructured student orientation, more greeters and extended hours in the bookstore and registrar's office meant that students had reduced wait times. As a result, campus tours were up significantly and more students than ever before have signed up for intramural and recreational activities.

In Salmon Arm, perfect weather coupled with a delicious barbecue helped to make orientation day a great success (as seen in the photo).

One of Okanagan College's business administration classes received media attention at the conclusion of Kyleen Myrah's third-year course, Social Entrepreneurship. The course challenges students to use their acquired business skills to give back to the community by offering their services and expertise to non-profit organizations. Read more about the course and some of the College's students in the Kelowna Daily Courier's , Learning to give back and the Kelowna Capital News' , Nonprofits benefit from business school students' marketing skills .

Ken Smedley , arts and cultural activist and Honorary Fellow of Okanagan College, was selected as the recipient of Armstrong's Community Recognition of Excellence Award . Find out more about his contribution to the Okanagan in the Vernon Morning Star , Smedley to be honoured by city .

Okanagan College Distinguished Alumnus Robert Louie was re-elected as chief of the Westbank First Nation. Read about the election in the Okanagan Saturday , Louie re-elected as chief .

A feature on Okanagan College's Continuing Studies program was published in the Vernon Morning Star . Read more about online registration and other news from CS in, College opens doors .

Continuing Studies Director Charlotte Kushner was interviewed in an article published in Forever Young . Read more in Long live life long learners .

A feature on the success of Salvadoran immigrant Carlos Perdomo - Project Literacy award winner and Okanagan College student - appeared in the Kelowna Daily Courier . Read more about his achievement in, Project Literacy's star pupil .

In the Kelowna Daily Courier's Economic boom strangled , Okanagan College's Heather Banham provided insight into the local economy and growth patterns. Heather is currently leading a provincial initiative, Building Small Business Human Resources, to address the skills shortage in the region.

The Vernon Morning Star looked to Regional Dean John Lent for news of opening week enrolment numbers at the Kalamalka campus. Read the article, Enrolment numbers on rise .

September 14, 2007, Vol. 1 Issue 12

Alumni Award banquet tickets now on sale

The 2007 Okanagan College Alumni Association awards dinner is getting nearer and seating is limited. This year’s award recipients include: Nick Arkle, Chief Forester at Gorman Bros; Penticton Entrepreneur, Corrine Inman, owner of Morpheus Graphics and Design; World Women's Curling Champions, Team Scott; and for the first time ever, the Alumni Association will honour a team of business students - Inukshuk Sound. Space is limited for this event so reserve your seats now. For more information or to purchase tickets contact Katerina Hay (local 4771).

AGM for members of the Municipal Pension Plan (support staff)

The Municipal Pension Plan is holding its Annual General Meeting in Victoria on Saturday, October 13, 2007, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Plan Members are encouraged to either attend in person or participate during the live, web cast available online. All plan members, retired plan members and employers are invited to join us, where you will have the opportunity to speak with the trustees of your pension plan. Hotel discounts are available for attendees planning on an overnight stay. Visit www.pensionsbc.ca for more information. Contact the MPP toll free at 1-800-668-6335 with any related questions.

The Fall Classic

Calling all putters! If you liked the spring bocce tournament you may like the Fall Classic even more. The Kelowna social committee is hosting a mini putt golf tournament on September 27-28 on the KLO campus. This tournament is open to all...you do not have to be a Tiger or Anika to join in. Just find a partner, create an innovative name for your team and sign up with Angie March (local 4501) by September 25. More information on the Fall Classic is available here. See you on the first tee!

Recruitment drive kick off

Okanagan College, as a member of PSIBC (Post Secondary Institutions of BC), will start its annual recruitment drive with school visits starting on September 26 at Merritt Secondary. School visits this year include the East and West Kootenays, the entire Okanagan College region, Kamloops, and some schools in the province's north region.

50/50 winner announced

Congratulations to Donna Lomas, Regional Dean of the South Okanagan-Similkameen who won today's payday draw for $457.50. The Okanagan College Foundation 50/50 Staff Lottery is open to all employees of Okanagan College. If you wish to sign up for the lottery, registration forms are available from: Advancement & Alumni/Okanagan College Foundation office (P103, KLO Campus), Human Resources (Landmark V, Kelowna) or online.

Sept. 18 - The Alumni Association will host a souvlaki barbecue for students and staff on Tuesday afternoon between 11:30-1:30 at the Kelowna campus. Four dollars will get you a chicken or pork souvlaki wrapped in a soft pita with tzatziki, a snack bag of chips and a drink. Contact Kat Hay for more information.

Sept. 19 - A celebratory wine and cheese reception to mark the launch of new health and trades programs in the Shuswap will be held at the Salmon Arm campus on Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. Contact Leslie Bogula for more information.

Sept. 19 - To kick off the school year, campus athletics and recreation have organized a student/staff softball game on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at the Kelowna campus. Everyone is invited to participate - contact Jenn Naiman for more information.

Sept. 20 - Anyone interested in the Revelstoke Residential Construction program may want to attend at upcoming information night. Find out everything you need to know about the program on Thursday from 7-8 p.m. at the Revelstoke Centre. Contact Rob Kjarsgaard for more information.

Sept. 23 - Join President Jim Hamilton at the 11th annual AIDS Walk in Kelowna's waterfront park on Sunday. Registration will take place in Waterfront Park at noon. The walk begins at 1 p.m. with awards and entertainment to follow between 2-3 p.m. Contact Joanna Campbell to join Okanagan College's team of walkers.

In a new podcast, communications professor Marc Arellano (left) discusses the connections between the activities of research science and the processes of learning, and the importance of higher learning in contemporary science with Nobel recipient and 2004 U.S. Professor of the Year, Carl Wieman.

The new interview is just one of Marc's Crucial Conversations podcasts. In Crucial Conversations Marc explores the issues of how we learn, and how technology influences learning and impacts education policy and planning.

Do you have comments, questions or a submission for INSIDE OKANAGAN COLLEGE? Please email Public Affairs c/o Christine Ulmer.

The next edition of INSIDE OKANAGAN COLLEGE will be issued on September 28, 2007.